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A severe weather watch has been issued for large swathes of the North Island as Tropical Cyclone Donna makes its way closer to New Zealand.

Heavy rain is expected during the next couple of days for most of the North Island, and parts of the South Island, with the north-east of the North Island expected to bear the brunt.

Cyclone Donna is expected to be downgraded today, and may lose its tropical cyclone status. However, New Zealand could still be in for a wet and windy end to the week as it tracks to the north-east of the country.

Cyclone Donna is expected to be sitting roughly 300km offshore and downgraded to a Category 2 cyclone by lunchtime today, MetService said this morning.

"A period of northerly rain is expected over much of central and northern New Zealand," it said, ahead of a front expected to move in tomorrow.

The heaviest rain is forecast for Nelson, Mt Taranaki and parts of the Bay of Plenty, as well as the ranges of Gisborne.

Meanwhile, Weatherwatch said Donna is likely to weaken as it drifts south from the warm air and seas of the tropical south Pacific, but then restructure into a new system in the New Zealand area.

The remnants from Topical Cyclone Donna would just miss the country, it said, tracking to the north-east of the North Island. However, it warned that a change of course was always possible.

"If there wasn't a large blocking high to the east of New Zealand WeatherWatch.co.nz believes Donna would pose no threat to New Zealand, and quickly track well to the north-east.

"The high, however, is encouraging Donna to track closer to Aotearoa and therefore it brings a general threat; such as heavy rain, gales and dangerous beach conditions in the north-east of the North Island."